The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1887-02-24

made up my mind to jump in after hei
for l could no more have seen hei
than human being perish--when she
managed to break loose and swim
ashore.
1t was a bowling, blistering, bitter
cold day; so when / fished poor Fan
out of the water she presented most
woful appearance, her long silky hair
clinging to her slender body, her head
and tail dropping. and her back all
drawn up with the cold. I thought she
would surely die, or at leas. forever
after lose her courage.
We had two and half miles to walk
before reaching any house, and I at first
thought of carrying her in my arms, but
then l made up my mind it would be
safer to keep her in motion. So we hur-
ried on as fast as we could till we reached
n tavern. and there some warm milk and
water and a comfortable fire soon made
her all right. A few days after, while
pursuing bird, she came to another
ditch, but without moments hesita-
ton, in she plunged and swan across.
To my delight found she had not lost
one particle of her courage.
When I left that part of the country,
Fan and had to part. But HUNTED up
good, faithful man, and gave him to
her; and am sure she treated him well
if he only behaved himself properly, for
she was a very kind little dog.
The next dog that owned me was a
Scotch collie or shepherds dog. How
came into her possession I can not re.
member, but she owned me for nearly
two years. was then living at place
on the Hudson, rather retired spot a
little way from the high road. One day,
when I was away from home, a peddler
walked into the kitchen, and seating
himself at table, demanded something
to eat. My wife told him she had moth
ing for him, and requested him to leave.
He then grew insolent, and said he
should remain as long as he pleased.
My wife then told him if he did not 60
she would call the dog.
"Oh!' he replied, smilingly. "call
your dog. I'm not afraid of dogs"
My wife went to the door, and called:
"Nora! Nora!'
The dog came bounding in.
"Here. Nora. turn this man outr'
Without bark or growl (Scotch
collies never say mrrch), Nora flew at
the peddler's throat, and tumbled him
him over in the dust, for he had scram-
bled to the door.
do not know what would have be-
come of the rascal had not my wife
called the dog off. AS it was, the ped
dler picked up his pack and stick, and
started down the road as fast as his legs
would carry him. One day we were
attracted by furious and continuous
barking in field adjoining my place,
and. on going to the spot, we found
Nora mounting guard in front of a
woodchuck's burrow, to which the old
woodchuck was trying to retreat.
The sagacious dog evidently knew
that the safest plan to capture the game
was to cut off his communication with
his citadel, and call for help, so she
stood there for an hour, barking, till
we came. Nothing would induce her to
quit the post, which she felt was the
key to the situation, till we had secured
the rodent, and then her ecstasy was un-
bounded. She capered and grinned
and laughed, and said, as plain as dog
could say:
II did it. Wasn't I smart?'
Nora was a great excursionist; it was
her only fault. l think she went to the
different farm-houses round about in
search of the companionship of sheep.
On my farm l had only some ducks and
chickens and a pig. And what are pigs
and poultry to the soul of dog accus-
toned to command legion of nimble.
curly-horned sheep ON Wild Scotch
moor?
Disappearing of Nora's rowing habits
I finally tied her up in loft over tool
house, and also locked her in. The
next morning when went to feed her,
she was gone. She had gnawed the
rope in two, opened the window. and
jumped about fifteen feet to the ground.
The gnawing and jumping, though acts
of extreme audacity, were easily UNDER
stood. But, to open the window. she
must have thoroughly studied the SUBJ
ject, and put her nose to extreme physi-
cal pain in forcing it up. Nora disap-
peared one day, and never came back.
l feel satisfied she must have been
detained. probably by some
farmer who had sheep and knew her
value.
The next l find on my list of canine
is a little half-and-h half
Scotch terrier and poodle. l first met
her in drug store in Orange, N. j., on
a damp, drizzling, miserable night.
her, wet and muddy and
miserable as the night itself, covering
in one corner of the store. The drug
gist did not know who she was or where
she came from. addressed few cas-
ual remarks to her on the state of the
weather and her own personal appear
ance. She took possession of me at
once. When l left the store she fol-
lowed me home. l invited her in and
gave her good supper. which she
seemed to enjoy heartily.
After that her kindness and affection
knew no bounds. She was never hap
py, save in my society; and when I left
the house for any length of time, which
l generally had to do surreptitiously,